High-Tech Jobs Slowing But Still Growing

This compares to gains of 139,000 in 2006 and 87,400 in 2005. “Tech jobs make critical contributions to the U.S. economy and pay extremely well,” says Christopher Hansen, President and CEO of AeA. “The average tech industry wage is 87% higher than the average private-sector wage.”

Software services added 82,600 jobs, up for the fourth year in a row. Engineering and tech services added 45,800 jobs, also up for the fourth year in a row. On the downside, high-tech manufacturing lost 29,800 jobs last year. Seven of the nine tech-manufacturing sectors lost jobs in 2007. Only the defenseelectronics and electromedicalequipment sectors showed gains. Communications services continued to shed jobs, albeit at a slower pace, losing 7,200 compared to a loss of 16,900 in 2006.

“The United States must prepare for a vastly more competitive global marketplace,” continues Hansen. “The tech industry and the country risk losing competitiveness due to inadequate investment in scientific research, a failure to improve our education system, and a failure to let the best and brightest from around the world work in the United States.”

The report, Cyberstates 2008: A Complete State-by-State Overview of the High-Technology Industry, reviews the high-tech industry nationally and state-by-state in terms of employment, wages, payroll, and establishments. For more information, visit aeanet.org/cyberstates.